Amnesty International Manchester will celebrate the modern relevance of the Human Rights Act for it's 15th anniversary, ahead of government plans to replace it.

Manchester will host an evening talk on October 11 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Cross Street Chapel, to mark day nine of the British Institute for Human Rights’ (BIHR) 15 days of action.

This drive follows from the statement from government that revealed their intention to abolish the Human Rights Act of 2000 and replace it with a British Bill of Rights.

Deputy Director of BIHR, Sanchita Hosali, said: “This is our fifth Human Rights Tour and is going to be our biggest ever so we are thrilled to be working with Manchester Amnesty Group to bring the story of the Human Rights Act to Manchester.

“With powerful voices talking about the unravelling the protection of our universal human rights here at home, it is more important than ever before for each of us to recognise what is at stake.”

Manchester City Council unanimously passed a motion on September 23 in support of retaining the current Human Rights Act.

From October 2-16, the Human Rights Tour will call on 20 cities from Brighton to Arbroath to join the conversations about how the human rights affect us and what the future holds for such universal protections.

BIHR raised £1,185 through crowd-funding for their 15 days of action and activities that seek to raise awareness of the positive changes the Human Rights Act has brought about in the UK.

Group chair of the Manchester Group of Amnesty International, Laura Barsby, said: “We are very excited to have been selected by the BIHR to host this event, and bringing Human Rights Tour to Manchester this year.

“The history of Manchester has been shaped by the struggle of ordinary people for democracy and fundamental rights, from the Peterloo Massacre to the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

"And in 2015 when our rights are once again under threat, we want to ensure people in our community know just how important and valuable the Human Rights Act is.”

The tour has been running for the past five years with local groups each year bidding to bring BIHR to their town for pop-up debates and talks.

Image courtesy of Richard Potts, with thanks.

For more on this story and many others,
follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.